


Fixed Points

by BEB0P105



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Fixed Points in Time, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Moving On, Pre-Forsaken Pre-Mourning, Pre-Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 11:58:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15840840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BEB0P105/pseuds/BEB0P105
Summary: Gambol-12 returns from a troubling session with the Future War Cult's prediction machine. Having learned of the impending demise of Cayde-6, she storms the Tower Ramparts to confront Lahkshmi-2, the faction's representative.





	Fixed Points

Gambol-12 hastily transmats onto the main courtyard of the Tower's ramparts. Her jumpship causes a fuss and startles all nearby when it recklessly stops at a docking space, missing the concrete surface. Zavala takes notice to this from his post nearby, but by the time he arrives to scold the delinquent, she's half-way to the hangar.

"Gambol--" Her Ghost materializes over her shoulder and drifts into sight as she storms through. "Gambol, _please_. I understand; I saw it too. But maybe we shouldn't be so rash?"

Gambol snarls, and stops. "Shadow--" she says to her Ghost, gripping it with both hands and holding him close to her face. Her golden eyes leer into his single cyan optic. "Cayde's going to die and that waste of scrapmetal is telling me that we can do nothing! NOTHING!"

"But you heard what Lakshmi--" Shadow sputters, and Gambol cuts him off.

"She's-- _ARRGH_!" Frustrated, she throws her Ghost away from, consciously holding back as not to harm him, and continues her crusade around the corner. That's when she spots Cayde-6, a member of the Vanguard and a mentor to Hunters everywhere. Gambol adores him for the insufferable, puckish rogue that he is. She'd always been a Hunter of the wilds, one that never stayed in the City for more than a couple of hours. Her home was in the Dead Zones of Earth, defending those who couldn't defend themselves. Cayde had told her he respected that, immensely.

She was about to call for him when a Titan adorned in Future War Cult's colours interrupted her pace. She looked at the Titan, prepared to chew him out, but hesitated when she identified him; It was Simm. He was a man of striking features and beautiful dark skin, topped off with a masterful-looking mustache. He looked like a concerned father, always.

"Lakshmi would like to speak with you." He said quietly. 

Gambol struggled as she tried to pass him. "I have something... _Life-changing_ , to deal with first, Simm." she retorted.

"I insist." Simm counters, relaxing his stance and gesturing up at the loft decorated with the livery of the war cult. I resides opposite of Cayde's workspace, looming over the Hunter Vanguard like a watchful guardian. 

Gambol can see the vague shape of an individual standing in front of the tinted window. She focuses, and determines it's the Exo she came to beat senseless. Instead, she sighs desperately and looks at Simm. "I have to save him."

"I know." He says, nodding sympathetically. "But hear her out first. You have to understand, Gambol."

The Hunter ponders his quiet plea. It doesn't take long after running the odds of overpowering Simm renders each success unsuccessful. Gambol matches his gaze for an instant, then narrows her eyes, mentally cursing the Titan. With clenched fists, she agrees. Her Ghost orbits the two.

"Five minutes." she bargains.  
  
Simm nods. "Five minutes."

He escorts Gambol up the stairs and into the minimalist loft lit by a calming blue. Interestingly, there's no one in the space, save for Lakshmi-2, who stares out the window facing Cayde. She doesn't acknowledge the pair of Guardians who enter to the loft. Not physically, at least. Gambol scowls at the other Exo standing stoic with her arms crossed behind her back. She attempts to charge the war cult representative, but Simm holds her back with ease. Typical of a Titan, he's very strong.

"Hello, Gambol." Lakshmi says, her tone sounding as bored or uninterested as usual. She tilts her head ever so slightly in the direction of Gambol and Simm.

"What the Hell was that for, Lakshmi?" Gambol asks, shouting at Lakshmi. "You invite me to your little clubhouse of... of fanatics, show me a doomed timeline--"

"Nobody said it was a doomed timeline, Gambol." Lakshmi interrupts. "It was an initiation."

" ** _INITIATION!_ _?_** " Gambol barks, visibly offended. "Your idea of initiation is to show me my mentor being executed, you Traveller-forsaken bucket of b--"  
  
Lakshmi sighed wearily. "It's to understand what it truly means to observe time in every direction. To understand that there are some things we cannot change. We call them fixed points in time. To interfere would be to damage reality as we know it."  
  


"But you saw the Red War before everyone else did." Gambol contested. "If we'd listened to you, we could have prevented it."

"No." Lakshmi shook her head. "At best, we could have softened the blow."

"Then what... What is the point to all of this? Why bother looking at different timelines if there's nothing we can do to prevent it?" Gambol asks, her malicious intent fading into helplessness.

"To move on." Lakshmi answers. "The rebirth of that particular Guardian, the coming of Oryx, the Red Legion's invasion, Osiris' return, Rasputin's awakening... All of these were fixed points in time that could not have been prevented. Because one way or another... Time makes it so."

Simm releases his grip on Gambol who, in turn, joins Lakshmi at the window with a forlorn stride. She what Lakshmi observes: Cayde-6, lounging against his work station, mingling with a Warlock. The Warlock seems to laugh as Cayde explains something; A story about one of his caches, likely. Gambol's breath comes out shay as she exhales. She was ever a fan of killing darlings. "What if we just tell him not to go to the Reef? Why not just throw him under the sparrow and tell Zavala, or Ikora? Ikora would understand."

"All in vain." Lakshmi says consolingly. "I have also seen the alternate branches... Cayde will always find a way out there. He will always die."

Gambol clenches her fist, then presses her hand against the glass. It was agonizing, knowing the fate of her friend and being unable to alter it. Cayde-6 might not have been a noble Hunter-- none truly are-- but he didn't deserve such an anticlimactic ending. She recalled the vision of his death and winced at the shadowed figure shot him dead in the darkness with a hand cannon. She stomached that and attempted to drown it out with the recollection of hours spent at the ramen place in the old Tower, comparing feats of skill, boasting about their cape collections, and betting on sparrow races and late night crucible matches. Gambol would give it all just to have more of those with Cayde.

In spite of this, Lakshmi made her point. While Cayde would certainly die in the Reef, the Guardians would prevail in that conflict. The people of the Last City would prosper. That fixed point in time was necessary. The needs of a few outnumbering the many... Gambol would need to let go. She had to.

"I... I understand." she mumbled, looking downdraught. Simm, who had been silent for the exchange, put a hand on Gambol's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Lakshmi consoled again.

Gambol simply nodded, and left. Simm followed far behind her, not enough to interfere. She made it to the bottom of the stairs and stopped to look at Cayde as he waved off the Warlock. She swallowed, and sucked in a deep breath. She made for Cayde, cutting a swathe through the crowd of hangar staff and Guardians. Cayde hummed an ominous melody, taking notice only at the last second.

"Gambol, hey!" He greeted with a finger gun. "What's the latest, Gam-Gam?"

Gambol said nothing. She stopped in front of him, the expression on her jet black plated face one of pre-mourning. She looked up at the Future War Cult's loft, and her eyes met Lakshmi's. They stared at each other, as if in a stand off set in the street. Eventually, Gambol nodded knowingly, and looked back at Cayde.

"You ah... You good-- Oh!"

Gambol squeezed her mentor tight, hugging him with all the affection her emotionally-stunted synthetic heart could muster. It was a long hug, one saved for final goodbyes to friends known for centuries and loved ones passing. She lost herself in memories yet made and feelings un-uttered.

"Gambol, hey..." Cayde broke the silence. "People are staring." he said with a laugh and an awkward pat.

Gambol suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment and released him. "I'm-- I'm sorry." she apologized, getting a hold of herself. "Just been a while, is all."

"No harm done, Gambol." He said with a laugh as he leaned back against his post. "What's ah... What's the occasion?"

Gambol stammered. "It's just..." she fidgeted with her hands; one last battle with herself. She couldn't save Cayde. She knew that. Nobody could. But hey, that wasn't for another week. "You wanna... Get Shiro? Let's go get a drink at the ramen place."

Cayde nodded along; It was music to his audio receptors. "I love it. Let's do it." he clapped his hands together and pointed in the shop's general direction, but stopped mid-stride.

Gambol turned around. "Cayde?"

"You're ah... Paying, right?"

She chuckled. "Of course, my friend."


End file.
